Stalking My Ladybug
by SplatterCracker
Summary: Chat Noir has had enough of not knowing who his lady is. So what happens when he follows her one day after defeating an Akuma? Will he find out Ladybug's true identity? Or will his mission end up in flames? [Two-Shot] (Choose-your-ending)
1. My Lady

**Read Author's Note at end for info on a possible sequel.**

"Miraculous ladybug!"

Ladybug grinned and turned to Chat Noir for a fistbump. "Pound it! See you later, kitty."

She gave Chat a smile before turning away. Another day, another akuma. Another getaway.

"Wait, my lady!"

Ladybug turned her head, a questioning look on her face. Her yo-yo was already in her hand, ready to swing her out of the scene, as always. "What is it, Chat?"

Chat smiled sheepishly and scratched the back of his head. "I was wondering... Purrhaps you'd like to stay for a while today?"

Ladybug sighed. Of course. Why else would he ask her to stay behind? "We've talked about this before."

"I know, I just thought you might have changed your mind." Chat grinned, pressing his luck. "I just want to see who's my lady under that mask."

"Maybe one day," Ladybug teased and poked at the cat in the chest. Her earrings beeped their first warning. "Get going before you run out as well. Bye Chat!"

With that, the superhero swung away out of sight, leaving Chat my himself. Chat pouted. "And when exactly is that 'one day'?"

Turning to leave as well, Chat made a move towards the direction of his house when he noticed a ladybug on his baton. He grinned at it and gently poked it. "Why hello there, what are you doing on my baton, my little ladybug? Care to join me on my way home?"

Giving no answer, the bug simply flew away at his finger. Chat watched as it flew past him. Coincidentally, it flew in the same direction Ladybug was headed.

"Tsk, even you're leaving me? That's not very nice." Chat made a playful grab at the ladybug. Surprisingly, He caught it.

"Gotcha! See, that wasn't so bad, was it?"

Opening his hand, he allowed the ladybug to fly off once again. As he watched the bug fly off, he noticed the smallest flash of red, disappearing over a distant rooftop just as fast as he had noticed it.

His Ladybug.

 _His_ Ladybug.

What she didn't know wouldn't hurt her, right?

Chat grinned and tucked his baton away before leaping in the direction Ladybug had headed.

Unlike Ladybug, Chat hadn't used his powers yet. Well, technically, he had early on in the fight and was forced to transform back. But after returning to the fight a second time, he hadn't needed to use cataclysm again and, as a result, wasn't on a time limit before detransformation.

Keeping low on the rooftops, Chat raced as fast as he could without being spotted. He hadn't seen Ladybug again yet, but she was sure to be headed this way. She usually headed towards specific areas of the city after a battle. Not that he kept track intentionally, it just happened. It didn't take a genius to notice that Ladybug stuck to a pattern while making an escape.

There were two general areas in Paris that his lady normally ran to after a battle. One was his school. He hadn't asked her yet if she really was a student at his school but it was no coincidence that she just happened to make a run for it there every time they had a fight during school hours. The other area was one that wasn't too far away from the school either. Not exactly a neighborhood but it was a start. Chat was sure that she hadn't left for the school as it was Saturday, which left the other possibility.

Chat dashed along the rooftops. Practice had made him quick, yet quiet. At this rate, he should be catching up to Ladybug soon.

Where was she?

 _Who_ was she?

Chat slowed. Then he frowned before skidding to a stop.

He couldn't help but feel guilty. Wasn't it her right to remain hidden?

Chat groaned and shook his head. No, what if something were to happen to her one day while she wasn't Ladybug? It would be a lie if Chat said that wasn't something he worried about every day. What if she got seriously hurt one day and had to retire as Ladybug? Or worse, dead? How would Chat ever know? As her partner, didn't he have that right?

But what if she never forgave him for compromising her identity? Protecting their identities was always one of Ladybug's top priorities, even if it meant keeping the secret from each other.

Unless…

Chat broke into a run again. Unless, she never found out he knew!

Smirking, Chat resumed his chase once again. If what he had observed was right, he shouldn't have passed the area yet. Which meant she was close.

Another flash of red from the corner of his eye was all he needed to halt. He whipped his head to the right. An alleyway?

Chat smacked himself. Of course, she wouldn't just go home! He himself usually took a detour and transformed elsewhere before returning home, just in case someone unfavorable was watching. Like, well, Chat in this case. Leaping closer by rooftop, it didn't take long to get close to the alleyway when a familiar girl stepped out.

Chat nearly fell off the roof..

The girl quickly looked both ways before briskly walked off down the street. It was only half a minute later that she reached her house and ducked inside, greeting her parents inside the store.

The same house and store he had visited before for a school project.

Chat was stunned.

Marinette? _His_ Marinette? Chat blushed. Well, not _his_ , but the idea that his lady, his partner, really was in the same school, no, the same class was unbelievable. Not just that, she literally sat behind him for _months_.

He was almost tempted to confront her right away. How could he have not noticed? Well, considering his own change in personality as Chat, it wasn't surprising that Ladybug behaved differently as a civilian as well, but surely he should have noticed…

Chat shook his head. If he wanted to be sure, he had to see for himself. Somewhere on her must be a kwami. And he was going to find it.

* * *

"He was totally staring at you," Alya whispered, a smirk on her face. "Don't even try to deny it. Nino agreed too."

"Alya, he was not!" Marinette furiously whispered back, quickly scanning the room for anyone who may have heard. Luckily, most students had left the room during lunch break. Alya and Marinette were about to leave as well to eat outside, where they normally spent their breaks.

"Oh _come on_ , girl. You know he was just as well as I do! He's got a thing for you." Alya poked her friend in the cheek, causing Marinette to blush and swat her hand away.

"Please, as if anyone could be interested in her," Chloe retorted as she walked past, Sabrina loyally following just a few steps behind. "Come on, Sabrina, let's leave these two _losers_ alone with their fantasies."

Alya glared at the pair but Marinette stopped her with a hand on her shoulder before the girl could say anything. "They're not worth it, Alya."

Alya gave the pair one last glare but then sighed but nodded. "You're right. Argh, she just makes me want to wring her little chicken neck, you know? Anyways, let's go eat. Otherwise I really will wring her neck."

Marinette nodded and smiled, her own lunch already in her hands.

* * *

It was about halfway into the break, just as Marinette had finished eating her homemade pastries, when Adrien approached the pair sitting on a bench. Alya had, of course, noticed the boy coming from across the courtyard. After not-so-discreetly nudging Marinette a few times, she quickly snatched the shyer girl's trash out of her hands and left, muttering something about throwing away trash even though her own lunch wasn't finished.

"Marinette!" Adrien called out, a smile on his face. Marinette jumped.

"A-Adrien! How can I do you today–I MEAN, what can I do for you?" Marinette stammered, blush already on her cheeks. "I-Is there something you need?"

Adrien coughed awkwardly, hiding his own blush. Sure, he had interacted with Marinette before but that was before he realized that she was Ladybug. This was...different.

Suddenly, his plan didn't seem all that great anymore. It didn't take long for him to figure out that the one place a kwami could comfortably hide was in that bag she wore everywhere.

"I was wondering if I can see your bag for, um, design purposes. My dad's thinking about starting a new fashion line specifically for school girls and well, you're fashionable, right?" He asked lamely. He berated himself for making it sound so obviously like a lie but Marinette didn't seem to notice.

If it were possible, Marinette turned redder. "M-Me? Of course! I can give you my bag right after school." She breathed a mental sigh of relief. At least she got one sentence out right.

"Oh, that's okay. I don't need to borrow it or anything, I'll just look at it now. I just want to get a feel for the quality and everything," Adrien lied, this time more smoothly.

It was at this point that Marinette started to feel weary. "Oh, um, I have some stuff inside right now so I don't know if you want to see it now." Marinette laughed awkwardly. "I'll go empty it out for you and then you can see how the bag is really like…"

"It's okay." Adrien smiled. If he were Chat right now, he'd be smirking. "What better way to be acquainted with the schoolgirl feel than to be familiar with what they carry around? We want to make practical bags as well, after all."

Marinette laughed nervously and unconsciously brushed her hand over the bag. "I don't think that's a great idea…"

"Why not?"

"I…" Marinette racked her brain frantically for ideas. "I have some, you know…"

"Some…?" Adrien smiled innocently.

Suddenly struck by inspiration, Marinette smiled sheepishly and lowered her voice. "Well, um, Adrien, I'm a girl so I carry, well, girl stuff around… You know what I mean?"

Marinette almost felt guilty but seeing Adrien's sudden blush from being caught off guard made it worth it. If it were someone else, she would have probably laughed. "Oh, um, sorry. I didn't think…"

Marinette smiled and cast her eyes downward. She can't believe that actually worked. "I can go empty it now and give it to you," She offered shly.

Quickly recomposing himself, Adrien straightened up.

"Thanks. I'll come with you," said Adrien with a grin. Trying to hide her kwami, huh?

"That's not necessary–"

"I insist." Adrien said, giving her a "killer smile" as Nino had called it. Apparently, Nino was right. Marinette basically melted at the sight.

"A-Ah, okay…"

Marinette's head was in a daze as they headed to their classroom which was empty by the time the pair arrived. She nearly walked into her own table.

"Let me just...dump my bag out into my backpack…" Marinette chuckled nervously and proceeded to open her backpack before sticking her shoulder bag into the bigger bag and turning it upside down, out of Adrien's sight. As soon as Tikki silently slid out and took refuge in the new bag, Marinette quickly pulled out the smaller bag and handed it to Adrien, a smile on her face.

Amused, Adrien took the bag from her. That was all the proof it took to convince him. No one would act that suspicious about something like that. "Thanks, Marinette. Actually, could you do me one more favor?"

Marinette jumped. "Yes, of course, Adrien!"

"Can you show me your kwami?"

So much for not letting her know he knew.

Marinette's heart seemed to freeze before picking up, double the speed. How did he know about kwamis? She she say something before? She racked her brain. Did Alya somehow find out about kwamis and posted it on the blog? "E-Excuse me, Adrien?"

"You're Ladybug, right?"

"N-No," Marinette squeaked. "Y-You must be mistaken, haha. Me? Ladybug? That's funny, ha ha…" She forced out a laugh.

"Can I see your bag then?" He pressed. It was increasingly difficult to hide his grin. Marinette was many things, but she wasn't a good actress.

"Adrien, I.." Marinette stammered. On one hand, she felt like fainting. On the other, she felt like crying. "I'm not Ladybug."

"It's alright. Don't worry, my lady." Adrien smirked, a trait of Chat's.

Marinette's eyes widened. Only one person called her that. And did Adrien just smirk? "What did you say?"

"Here, how about I go first then?" Adrien said suddenly. A voice in his head warned him that he was being far too pushy, but ever since he found out who Ladybug really was, he's been too reckless to care. She probably thought he was a creep at this point.

He hadn't planned on revealing himself. Heck, he didn't even plan for Marinette to know that her identity was compromised. But what can he say, cat's out of the bag now. "Plagg, come out."

Adrien gently nudged his school bag with his foot. Marinette watched with a mixture of astonishment and disbelief as a black cat kwami sleepily floated out. It rubbed at its eyes, a look of boredom on its face. Then it yawned. "Honestly, Adrien, you took so long with this that I almost fell asleep. Are you even sure about this?"

Adrien smiled and lifted his kwami up and stepped closer to Marinette who really looked on the verge of fainting at any moment. "Marinette, meet my kwami, Plagg. Plagg, meet Marinette. Also known as Ladybug."

"I know who she is. I can sense Tikki," Plagg stated blandly. He peered curiously at Marinette. "Nice to meetcha. I'm Plagg, Adrien's kwami."

Marinette's bag shuffled a bit before Tikki flew out, a huge grin on her face as she tackled her fellow kwami, sending the two tumbling off Adrien's hand. "Plagg!"

"You must be Tikki, right? Nice to meet you," Adrien chuckled as the two kwamis spun through the air in Tikki's very much one-sided hug. Then he turned to Marinette. He frowned at her expression "Marinette? Are you okay?"

"I… You're Chat Noir?" Marinette asked, her voice small. She seemed to be going into shock. "Adrien?"

"Well...yes." Adrien scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "I know, I know. You said to not tell each other our identities but, well, curiosity killed the cat. I'm sorry, my lady."

"You're Chat Noir." Marinette fell backward into one of the seats in a daze. "Adrien's Chat Noir. Adrien knows that I'm Ladybug."

Then she turned red and covered her face in embarrassment. "I've been next to Adrien this whole time?!"

Adrien laughed. "I had the same reaction when I found out who you were." He paused and looked at her in concern. "You're not upset, right? Nino told me you liked me."

"I do like you, I just didn't think you were capable of acting like Chat Noir and I didn't think that Chat Noir was anything more than a flirt. I never thought he could be so kind, so caring like Adrien…" Marinette trailed off, her ears bright red.

At this, Adrien was a little hurt. "You're...disappointed?"

Marinette quickly straightened up. "No, no! Chat Noir is my partner, my friend. Adrien is my...friend. Someone I admire. But I admire both Adrien and Chat Noir. Why would I be disappointed by someone like you? It's me who should be worried about being the disappointment. Ladybug is so confident. Smart. Heroic. I'm just...me." Marinette looked down. "I'm just Marinette."

"Marinette, you're more than that."

Marinette looked up in surprise.

"A mask is not some magical switch that turns us into another person," Adrien continued. "A mask just shows us another part of us. It lets us be who we are on the inside. You are just as much of a hero as Ladybug is because you are Ladybug."

Adrien knelt in front of Marinette and took her hands. "Superhero or not, you are the one who Chat Noir has been calling his lady. So can I, Adrien, call you my lady as well?"

Marinette stared at him in shock. "Adrien?"

Adrien turned red, almost as red as Marinette. "What I'm trying to ask is, will you be my, um, girlfriend?"

"Pfft. Cheesy. Go get a room," Plagg called out, only to be tackled by Tikki who clamped her kwami hand firmly over his mouth as she watched, bright-eyed.

"I, um, A-Adrien," Marinette stammered. She really felt faint now. Or nauseous. Maybe a bit of both.

Adrien looked down. Suddenly, the embarrassment was too much for him as well. "Sorry, I'm going too fast, aren't I? We can start off as friends. It might be a little awkward now but–"

"Yes."

"What?" Adrien looked up again, eyes hopeful. He didn't dare to believe his ears.

"Y-Yes," Marinette stammered, blushing.

Adrien grinned and jumped to his feet. Without warning, he hugged Marinette, lifting her off her seat and lightly spun her around. He didn't let go of her, not even when he set her down and whispered in her ear, "Thank you, my lady."

In the background, the two kwamis cheered, too distracted by the new couple to notice a third person walking away from the doorway.

 **Author's Note: This is the updated version, updated as of 1/31/17. If there are requests for the older version, I'll upload it as well.**

 **ALSO**

 **There are so many requests for an additional part that I'm considering writing one up (hence the update of this so I can work with something decent) I was thinking of uploading a few different outcomes with different people being the third person so I'm taking suggestions! Until then, the original "third person" who I had imagined will remain a mystery.**

 **Yes, I was a butthole and posted this as a new chap and deleted the old one to notify the people following this. I aim to publish the sequels within a day or two though :)**

 **Reviews make me smile :)**


	2. Alya

**If you didn't get the memo, this one-shot has a choose-your-ending. More options for who the third person is will be up soon so stay tuned~**

* * *

 **Third Person: Alya**

"Y-Yes," Marinette stammered, blushing.

What she heard next was Marinette's squeak of surprise and the cheering of two small voices too high to be natural. Were those the voices of the two "kwamis" that were mentioned?

What _were_ kwamis, anyway?

Alya shook her head. No, that wasn't important. What _was_ important was that Marinette and Adrien were...were…

No, that can't be right. Any minute now they're going to stick their heads out and say it was all a prank. They probably saw her following the pair back to the classroom, or Marinette guessed it. I mean, come on! How could she not follow them? She had to make sure Marinette was alright.

But what if…It wasn't a joke?

"This better not make things weird during fights, kitty," Marinette murmured, her voice barely audible to Alya.

Adrien chuckled. "No purromises, my lady."

A playful smack followed by giggles. "Adrien!"

Alya had to suppress a groan. Nope, it wasn't a joke. Marinette was a mediocre actress on a good day and that girl was being way too convincing for her capabilities.

Which meant that they weren't pulling her leg.

Marinette was Ladybug.

Ladybug was Marinette.

Not only that, Adrien was Chat Noir. _She was in the same class as Ladybug and Chat Noir_.

Her hand itched for her phone.

So that was it, huh? She felt like laughing, either from bitterness or amusement, she didn't know. All she knew was that her best friend, her best friend who couldn't even choke out a normal sentence around her crush-turned-boyfriend half the time was the same confident Ladybug who she ran a blog about. Was Marinette laughing at her behind her back this whole time? How many times had Marinette watched her squeal about the small things Ladybug did, or just about Ladybug in general?

Did she even care about how she felt?

Pulling out her phone, Alya quickly switched to camera.

"Does this mean you'll be sitting next to me from now on, my lady?" Was that a purr in Adrien's voice?

Peeking just the edge of her phone out to where she knew the pair stood, she quickly snapped a picture.

"No."

"No?" Adrien asked, confusion in his voice, along with a little hurt. "Why not?"

Alya frowned. Girl, Adrien literally just offered to sit next to you. Under normal circumstances, Alya would have forced them to sit together.

"B-Because that would mean not sitting next to Alya anymore and I don't want that," Marinette spoke softly. Alya didn't have to see the girl's face to know that she was looking down awkwardly, a habit of her's when she was embarrassed and apologetic.

"I think she and Nino will get along well," Adrien chuckled, much to the Alya's annoyance.

"No, Adrien. I-I'm sorry. I can't do that to my best friend. Besides, you don't know that."

Feeling a pang of guilt, she looked at her phone. The picture she took glowed dimly at her. It was Marinette, blushing, as she was pulled close to Adrien. Their hands were intertwined. They were both so focused on each other, they didn't notice the camera.

She sighed quietly.

Of course Marinette wasn't the kind of person to laugh at her behind her back. Neither Marinette nor Ladybug—No. Marinette _was_ Ladybug. And she wasn't the kind of person to do that kind of thing.

She felt a little ashamed. Here was Marinette having probably the time of her life up on cloud nine but still stops to worry about her feelings about not sitting together.

Alya almost smiled. Thinking about it now, she should have seen the similarities sooner. Marinette certainly was confident when she believed in herself, and she always did her best when it came to helping others.

Unless it was Chloe.

No wonder Ladybug seemed to hate Chloe.

"A-Adrien?" A muffled squeak.

Shaking her head, Alya walked away, a smile on her face. She'll leave the two lovebirds alone for now but that girl was going to spill everything later, even if Alya had to strangle it out of her.

* * *

"Spill it, girl. You have a lot of talking to do," Alya teased, poking her friend in the arm.

"Alya, nothing happened!" Marinette complained.

"That's not what your blush is telling me. Now we can do this the easy way or the hard way, which do you prefer?"

The pair was walking out of school. Just like Marinette wanted, she sat in her usual seat when lunch was over. Not a single mention of changing seats or anything of the sort and the girl avoided looking at Adrien as much as possible during the rest of the lessons.

But, of course, Marinette really wasn't all that good at acting so her trying to act normal only made things more suspicious looking.

"He just looked at my bag, that's all," Marinette insisted, her ears red.

"You two spent an awful amount of time in there to just be looking at a bag," Alya pressed.

"He, uh, took notes?"

"Mhm." Alya pulled out her phone. "Let's just see what Nino got out of Adrien."

"Alya!"

Grinning, Alya showed her phone to Marinette triumphantly.

 _One new message from Nino The Idiot:_

 _Duuuuuude you were right! Holy heck, they're finally_ dating _! The ship has saileddddd_

"Mhm. Now spill it."

"Alya!" She took the phone from the other girl's hand as she read the message in horror. "Nino!"

Alya laughed. "Don't underestimate my sources. Queen of gossip, right here."

"Ahhh how do I delete this message?!"

"Relax, I won't tell too many people," Alya teased. "I don't know why you're so surprised, everyone knew you were crushing on him big time. We even had bets going on how long until you two started dating. I was hoping it'll be next month though, cause that's what I betted on. Max won, by the way."

"Alya, what is this?"

"What's what?" Alya peeked over at her phone curiously.

Oh.

Well Sh*t.

Alya mentally berated herself. In all that had happened, she had forgotten to delete that picture.

Thinking quickly, she thrust out her hand. "You pretend that you never saw that picture and I'll pretend that I never heard anything from that room. Deal?"

Marinette stared at Alya in dismay.

Then she slowly nodded and took her hand and shook it.

"We're still talking about this later."

"No offense, Mari, but you have a lot more explaining to do than I do," Alya laughed. Sometime in the last couple minutes, the pair had stopped walking.

Marinette pouted and resumed walking, Alya quickly catching up.

"You're not mad?"

Alya glanced at the other girl who looked at Alya nervously. Alya smiled.

"Nah, I'm not mad."

"Really?" Marinette's eyes were wide.

"What kind of friend would I be if I didn't support you?" Alya retorted in playful offense. "Really, Mari, you wound me. You think that low of me?"

Marinette squealed and without warning, tackled Alya in a hug.

"You're the bestest friend I could have and I love you!"

Prying the girl off of her, Alya grinned. "I know someone else who you love more."

"Alya!"

 **Author's Note:**

 **Ahhhh I said I'd get this done in a couple of days but I procrastinated big time on homework this week so I wasn't able to write much m(_ _)m**

 **This is one of three possible endings I have planned at the moment. Alya was not the original third person I had in mind so I'm sorry if this chapter seems awkward .**

 **Chloe is next~**

 **Reviews make me smile :) (Seriously)**


	3. Chloe (Version 1)

**There are two alternative endings with Chloe as the third person. One to satisfy your Chloe hating needs and one that has a sprinkle of feels and a dash of moodiness.**

 **This is the more humorous, in-your-face-Chloe ending :)**

* * *

 **Third Person: Chloe :)**

Chloe tapped her foot impatiently.

Ugh, where _was_ that girl? She asked for that coffee like, _forever_ ago.

"Dang it, Sabrina, it's been like half an hour already," Chloe complained. She had finished her sushi already and her finished lunch sat on the table in front of her. Of course, Chloe Bourgeois sat in one of the most sought after tables in the courtyard; one that was conveniently shaded by a nearby tree. All the other students sat at tables that were indoors or out in the sun. The losers sat on the benches.

Like _those two_.

Ugh, Marinette and Alya.

Two waste of spaces, if you asked Chloe. Two _unfashionable_ waste of spaces. Seriously, what is up with that hair? And those pants are just ridiculous. And that shirt with that jacket? A walking mess. It was an embarrassment to even be in the same class as them.

So _why was Adrien walking towards them?_

Chloe watched in disbelief as the boy purposefully crossed the courtyard, clearly heading for those two. Apparently, Chloe wasn't the only one to notice him, for Alya roughly nudged Marinette before stealing her trash and scampering out of the scene.

The two chatted for a bit, with a lot of stuttering on Marinette's part. She didn't even need to be within earshot to tell. It was written all over her face.

Then she watched them get up and quickly walked together out of the courtyard.

Chloe scowled. Now what was that girl up to?

She debated on following them or not. On one hand, she didn't want her table to be taken by someone else. Sabrina wasn't here to guard it after all. But on the other, she can't let her Adrien be alone with that girl.

Especially if he was following her with a stupid grin on his face.

Chloe ground her teeth. Forget the table, her destined boyfriend was at stake here.

She quickly got up and followed the pair, hiding behind various corners as they went. They seemed to be heading back to the classroom. What the heck do they need in there?

When they disappeared into the room, Chloe casually stood just outside the door, her arms crossed. Her ears strained to listen to their conversation.

"Let me just...dump my bag out into my backpack…" Marinette chuckled nervously.

"Thanks, Marinette. Actually, could you do me one more favor?"

A favor? Why did Adrien ask _Marinette_ for a favor? Doesn't he know that he has her already? The only thing that he can ask for from Marinette are tips on bad fashion.

"Yes, of course, Adrien!"

Ugh, she sounds so obsessed over him. Such a loser.

"Can you show me your kwami?"

Silence.

"E-Excuse me, Adrien?"

"You're Ladybug, right?"

Excuse me?

Chloe almost laughed. Adrien was always so funny.

"N-No," Marinette squeaked. "Y-You must be mistaken, haha. Me? Ladybug? That's funny, ha ha…" For once, she agreed with Marinette.

"Can I see your bag then?" Adrien pressed a smile on his voice.

"Adrien, I..I'm not Ladybug"

Dang right she's not. It's laughable to even compare the two.

"It's alright. Don't worry, my lady."

What? Chloe's eyes widened in incredulity. Adrien never calls _me_ his lady, Chloe fumed. What makes _her_ so special?

"What did you say?"

"Here, how about I go first then? Plagg, come out."

"Honestly, Adrien, you took so long with this that I almost fell asleep. Are you even sure about this?"

The heck?

Chloe almost stuck her head into the room. Who was that? Did Adrien sneak a kid in there or something?

"Marinette, meet my kwami, Plagg. Plagg, meet Marinette. Also known as Ladybug."

Yeah, as if. And what the heck is a kwami? Some kind of toy or something? Ugh, toys were so last year.

"I know who she is. I can sense Tikki," The voice stated. It sounded bored. "Nice to meetcha. I'm Plagg, Adrien's kwami."

Tikki? Isn't that some kinda Hawaiian thing back in America?

She didn't have time to muse on it for long before a new, higher voice squeaked out, "Plagg!"

"You must be Tikki, right? Nice to meet you," Adrien chuckled. A pause. "Marinette? Are you okay?"

"I… You're Chat Noir?" Marinette asked. She sounded faint. But that's how she sounds like half the time when she's with Adrien, like when she's not stuttering her head off. The girl could barely think around Adrien, let alone speak. Made a fool out of herself every single time.

Wait…

WHAT?

Oh. It's a joke. Haha, very funny, Marinette. But jokes are really not her thing.

"Well...yes."

Chloe made a face. Okay, that joke was funny like, the first time. And even then not really. How can Adrikins be that stupid cat? And vise versa, how can Marinette be someone as great as Ladybug? Don't make me laugh.

"Well...yes. I know, I know. You said to not tell each other our identities but, well, curiosity killed the cat. I'm sorry, my lady."

Chloe balled up her fists, her nails digging into her palms.

Okay, now it was getting really annoying.

"You're Chat Noir. Adrien's Chat Noir. Adrien knows that I'm Ladybug." Followed by, "I've been next to Adrien this whole time?!"

Adrien laughed. "I had the same reaction when I found out who you were." He paused. "You're not upset, right? Nino told me you liked me."

"I do like you, I just didn't think you were capable of acting like Chat Noir and I didn't think that Chat Noir was anything more than a flirt. I never thought he could be so kind, so caring like Adrien…" Marinette trailed off.

"You're...disappointed?"

"No, no! Chat Noir is my partner, my friend. Adrien is my...friend. Someone I admire. But I admire both Adrien and Chat Noir. Why would I be disappointed by someone like you? It's me who should be worried about being the disappointment. Ladybug is so confident. Smart. Heroic. I'm just...me. I'm just Marinette."

She got that right.

"Marinette, you're more than that."

Like heck she is.

"A mask is not some magical switch that turns us into another person," Adrien continued. "A mask just shows us another part of us. It lets us be who we are on the inside. You are just as much of a hero as Ladybug is because you are Ladybug."

"Superhero or not, you are the one who Chat Noir has been calling his lady. So can I, Adrien, call you my lady as well?"

Aw, heck no.

"Adrien?"

"What I'm trying to ask is, will you be my, um, girlfriend?"

 _Heck. No._

"Pfft. Cheesy. Go get a room."

"I, um, A-Adrien," Marinette stammered.

"Sorry, I'm going too fast, aren't I? We can start off as friends. It might be a little awkward now but–"

"Yes."

"What?" _What?!_ Oh no she _didn't_.

"Y-Yes," Marinette stammered. Chloe was _this_ close to slapping her silly. Who was she to take her Adrien away? Angrily, she marched into the room.

She didn't know who was more surprised, Adrien and Marinette at her sudden entrance, the two little floating figures, or Chloe herself.

Forgetting the source of her anger for a moment, Chloe pointed a perfectly manicured nail at the two small figures in bewilderment.

"What are _those?_ "

Seeing the blond girl, they each gave a squeak of surprise and flew off towards the other two humans in the room, Adrien and Marinette. The red one ducked into Marinette's bag while the black cat-like one flew straight into Adrien's jacket.

"Chloe? What are you doing here?" Marinette asked in shock. Her ears were red. Then, in horror, "How long have you been listening?"

Chloe crossed her arms, a scowl on her face. "This whole time. You two have a lot of explaining to do if you don't want me telling everyone what I just heard."

"I-I how much do you know?" Marinette asked in a panic. She wrung her hands nervously.

"First of all, I want to know what the heck those two things are!"

Adrien and Marinette glanced at each other. Then Adrien spoke.

"Chloe, I'm sorry, can you forget about all this? For me?" Adrien looked at her hopefully, a small smile on his face.

"Like heck."

"Please?"

"Like _heck._ "

Adrien groaned. It was worth a shot. "Fine, what do you want?"

Chloe snorted. "What do I want? I'll tell you what I want. I want you two to break up right here, right now. If I can't have Adrien then neither can Marinette."

She looked at Marinette triumphantly. The black haired girl looked down in defeat.

"Fin–"

"No."

"Excuse me?" Chloe looked at Adrien in surprise. Then she glared at him. "Adrien, you don't really get a choice in this. Unless you want me to, let's say, tell everyone who you really are. Including your father of course."

Adrien matched her glare, much to the surprise of both Chloe and Marinette. Chloe was almost impressed. It wasn't often that Adrien showed anger. But then again, apparently the Adrien she knew wasn't really Adrien at all.

"No one will believe you."

"You wanna bet?" Chloe challenged.

"Adrien, no," Marinette whispered. But Adrien ignored her.

"Chloe, we both know that you're not the most popular person in the school, despite what you tell yourself. No one will believe you."

"Oh yeah? We'll see about that." Chloe turned angrily from the room, leaving the two alone once again in the classroom. As she passed the doorway, however, she paused and looked back, disgust on her face. "You know, Adrien, you're as rude as Chat Noir."

"I _am_ Chat Noir." But his words were lost on Chloe as she left.

Adrien sighed, the defiance melting off of his face. He fell back into a seat, slumped. He looked at Marinette apologetically. "I'm sorry, my lady. I'll take care of this, don't worry."

"Adrien, she's going to tell everyone!" It took all of Marinette's control to not wail.

"Marinette, who do you think will believe her over us?" Seeing her about to say something, he quickly added, "Listen, my lady, you're always protecting me. It's my turn to protect you. Do you trust me?"

Marinette opened her mouth to object but closed it. She slowly nodded.

"I trust you, Adrien."

He smiled and took her hand before gently kissing it. "Thank you, my lady."

* * *

"I'm telling you, they're Ladybug and Chat Noir!" Chloe insisted. She pointed the two in question. "Seriously!"

It was after class. As soon as the teacher left the room but before anyone else had left, Chloe addressed her classmates, with Sabrina standing quietly behind her.

"Yeah, and I'm the mayor of Paris," Alya laughed. "Is the heat getting to you, Chloe? Or did you finally lose your marbles?"

Chloe glared at her. "I'm telling the truth! I heard them talking in here during lunch earlier! They even had these flying little _things_ that talk!"

She looked at the class expectantly.

Kim shook his head. "Are you feeling alright, Chloe? This is weird, even for you."

"You can't expect us to believe anything without proof," Max added, pushing up his glasses.

"Then check them! They should still be on them somewhere." Chloe demanded. She marched up to Marinette and snatched her small pink purse. "I'm telling you, it's right in here!"

But it was empty.

"Um, Chloe? Can I have my bag back?" Marinette asked quietly.

Chloe glared at her wordlessly before tossing the bag back at her. Instead, she took her backpack, dumping out contents onto her desk. She shook it twice for good measure.

Spilling out of the backpack were books, pencils, papers...but no kwami.

Looking at the pile in disbelief, she shifted through the items. "But…"

"That's enough, Chloe," Nathaniel spoke up, just loud enough to be heard. He flushed as Chloe turned her gaze on him. "Stop bullying Marinette."

Chloe glared at him. "You're just saying that cause you like her. Well, too bad lover boy, she's dating Adrien now."

"She's _what?_ " Alya's jaw nearly dropped to the floor. " _Seriously?_ "

Alya looked at her friend, who sat there silently, blushing furiously. Adrien was the same.

That was all the confirmation the class needed.

The whole class erupted into cheers, much to Chloe's chagrin.

"About time, you two!"

"I knew you could do it, Marinette!"

"Whoohoo, it actually happened!"

"Aw, dang it. Now I gotta pay Max."

"No!" Chloe shrieked, effectively silencing the class. She glared at them. "Don't you get it? They're Ladybug and Chat Noir! They've been lying to us this whole time!"

Alya chuckled. "I think I'd notice if my best friend was Ladybug. I run the Ladyblog, after all."

Nino nodded. "Yeah, and can you even imagine Adrien being Chat Noir? Totally not possible."

The class murmured in agreement. Some even snickered at the idea.

"But it's _true_!" But seeing not a single person believed her, she glowered at the class before giving a heated glare at Adrien and Marinette. She pointed at them again, hatred on her face. "This isn't over!"

"Give it up, Chloe, you've kept us here long enough," Alya retorted.

Chloe growled, yes, _growled._ "You know what? Fine! I'll tell daddy and see what he thinks about this."

"Yeah, yeah, go run and tell 'daddy' what's wrong." Nino rolled his eyes. "Aren't you getting a bit old for that?"

"You know what, I will!" Chloe huffed and stood, Sabrina rising as well. As she passed their table, she gave them one last glare. "You two better watch your backs. I _will_ get my revenge."

And with that, Chloe Bourgeois left the room.

"Dudeeee, I knew you could do it!" Nino slapped Adrien on the back. Some of the other guys came down as well to congratulate him. "Man, took you long enough!"

Adrien laughed, a blush still on his face. "Sorry I took so long."

Behind him, Marinette wasn't treated any better.

" _Nothing happened, Alya_!" Alya mimicked Marinette, a wide grin on her face. "Girl, you are so spilling the beans later."

"You have got to tell me exactly what happened! I bet it was so romantic!" Rose gushed, clapping her hands together. Just like Adrien, Marinette had gathered a crowd of her own.

"I-It wasn't anything special…" Marinette mumbled, looking down at her hands in her lap.

"Oh yeah? Let's see what Adrien has to say about that," Alya teased. 'Hey Adrien! Mari says that it wasn't 'anything special'. Is that true?"

Adrien paused and grinned scratched his red cheek. "It wasn't just special. It was extraordinary."

The crowd cheered as Marinette turned three shades redder and hid her face in her hands.

"Stupid kitty," She mumbled.

"I love you too."

 **Author's Note:**

 **Whoa, another chapter so soon? I'm on a roll here xD**

 **As soon as I finished that previous chapter when I got home, I crashed from pulling an all-nighter for school (literally had two essays I didn't start on until midnight) and when I woke up I ate and just kept writing :3**

 **I just realized that I've been neglecting my Jelsa fanfic for a while now so I'll be working on updating that before I start on the alternative ending for Chloe which I predict will be as long as this one if not longer. After that will be the "true" ending with the original third person I had in mind :)**

 **I also realized I left out something in Alya's ending so I'll be editing that in tomorrow (whoops)**

 **Thank you so much** **GuardianAngel1234567,** **Screemnigcheesepuff, lizzy, and Luiz4200 for the reviews! They were what really motivated me to continue writing after my nap (I grinned like an idiot for a good few minutes)**

 **Reviews make me smile :)**


	4. Chloe (Version 2)

**More serious ending for Chloe and, what I think, would have been more likely to happen**

 **Warning: Don't read unless you feel like feeling sorry for Chloe. Got some hurt/comfort and angst in this. You might want to skip this chapter if you're only here for fluff and some feel good hate-on-Chloe action.**

* * *

 **Third Person: Chloe :(**

"Y-Yes," Marinette stammered.

Chloe took a step back from the doorway from which she was hidden by. Her hands were clenched tightly in a fist which she held to her chest.

Without a word, she walked away.

* * *

"Seriously, girl, spill it!" Alya hissed playfully as she poked Marinette none too gently in the arm. "Something gotta have happened! You two were alone together! Plus, you have a silly smile on your face. And is that a blush I see?"

"Alya, stop it!" Marinette hissed back but smiled bashfully. "Nothing happened, Alya!"

"You can't hide this from me forever! I'll find out the truth by the end of the day, even if I have to tickle you to death!" Alya threatened, wiggling her fingers at the other girl to prove her point.

"Shhh! What if Adrien walks in?" Marinette warned.

"Then I can interrogate him too."

"You wouldn't."

"Watch me," Alya smirked. "I wonder where he is, anyways. He and Nino are late. Miss Paris royalty and her loyal dog are also gone. You think they got into a fight?"

Marinette shook her head. "There's still time before class starts. I'm sure nothing as dramatic as a fight happened."

"A girl can dream." Alya sighed. "Oh, there's Nino and Prince Charming."

"Alya!"

Alya simply laughed as the two boys took their seats in front of them. Nino turned back and raised an eyebrow. "Did I miss a joke?"

Alya shook her head, a grin on her face. "No, but I have got some juicy bit of news for you! Today, during lunch–"

Marinette quickly muffled the girl with her hand, a blush on her face. "Alya!"

"Hmm?" Adrien turned as well. "What's going on?" he asked innocently, a smile on his face.

Marinette turned redder if that was possible. "N-Nothing!"

"Doesn't sound like nothing."

"Mmpf!"

"Marinette, that will be enough horseplay." Miss Bustier scolded gently yet sternly as she walked into the classroom. She was nearly knocked over by Sabrina who came barreling in behind her, a coffee in hand.

"Sabrina!" Miss Bustier said, both in surprise and in annoyance. "Careful, please!"

"Have you seen Chloe?" Sabrina asked, completely ignoring the woman.

Miss Bustier frowned. "Is she not with you?"

When Sabrina quickly shook her head, the woman sighed. "Then I suppose she went home for the day. Or she may be late. This wouldn't be the first time it happened."

"But Miss Bustier! She didn't tell me anything! And she's not answering any of my text messages!" Sabrina protested. She waved her coffee in the air. "And she never got her coffee!"

"Sabrina, I do not know where Chloe is. But I would like you to keep your personal matters outside of the classroom," Miss Bustier said sternly. "Now, go to your seat."

"But Chloe—"

"—Is fine," Miss Bustier finished for her. She gently guided the girl to her seat. "I wouldn't worry. Now, it's time to begin class. Everyone, please turn to page 63 in your books."

The class quietly complied. Alya elbowed Marinette.

"Hey, at least she's gone," she whispered, a grin on her face. Marinette returned her smile.

"Yeah."

* * *

Chloe was absent from school the following day.

And the day after that.

And also the day after that.

By Friday, the class was buzzing with rumors.

"You think she's going to show up today?" Alya asked casually as she pulled out her books for the day. "Ten bucks says she doesn't come today too."

Marinette turned her head and shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe she's sick."

"You'd think she'd let Sabrina know at least," Adrien remarked from next to Marinette. Despite Marinette's protests, Alya had forced the girl to sit next to Adrien. With the help of Nino, the pair had quickly taken up the second row where Alya and Marinette normally sat the morning after the class found out that the two were dating. Marinette had protested in the beginning but she quickly melted at Adrien's smile.

"Man, I was hoping to see how she would react to seeing you two sit together," Nino complained. "At this rate, Sabrina's hair would be gray with worry by Monday."

The group simultaneously glanced at the girl in question who sat alone in her usual seat. Her head was down in her hands, her back hunched over. Her normally perfect hair was messy from being pulled on and her headband was shoved on crooked. Overall, she looked like a mess.

"Poor girl," Marinette muttered, despite herself. "She looks so...dead inside."

"Can't be helped. Chloe was her life for as long as anyone can remember," Adrien murmured. "She even got akumatized when Chloe ignored her on purpose."

"Do you think she'll be alright?"

"I hope so." Adrien shook her head. "Even I don't know what happened. She didn't answer my call last night."

"You called her?" Marinette asked in surprise.

"My dad wanted me to check on her. That was the first time she didn't answer my call. In fact, I think she ended it on purpose. It only rang twice."

"That's weird," Marinette said, partly to herself. "I wonder what's gotten into her."

Adrien shrugged. It was at that moment that class began. A few minutes in, however, Adrien casually slipped Marinette a note, partly hidden by his notebook.

 _I know I shouldn't ask, but can you go check up on her? As Ladybug?_

It didn't take long before he received a reply.

 _No._

 _Please, my lady? I'm a little worried. And you know that she likes Ladybug more than Chat._

 _Why?_

 _Despite everything, she's still someone I grew up with. She's still a person._

Marinette stared at the note. Then she abruptly shoved it into the pages of her own notebook. Adrien gave her a side glance but didn't write again.

 _She's still a person._

Marinette didn't know why but that phrase stuck with her. Even after school ended and she had returned home, she mulled over that phrase in her head.

 _She's still a person._

She shook her head. No, Chloe was Chloe. How many people had turned into akumas because of her? How many more would turn into akumas because of her? Sure, she may be a person but that didn't make her a good person.

Right?

Marinette groaned and laid her arm across her eyes as she laid on her bed. Tikki flew out from the bad, concern on her face.

"Marinette?"

"Tikki, what do you think of Chloe?"

"Chloe?" Tikki asked in surprise. "Umm, she's kinda mean sometimes. Almost half of the akumas we face are because of her. I guess she's that kind of person."

Right. That kind of person. The kind of person who didn't need anyone to come. The kind of person who had everything from the start of her life. What she didn't have, she threw a tantrum for or called her dad. Why should anyone help that kind of selfish person?

"But I still think you should go check on her, if that's what you were thinking of," Tikki said quietly. She held out the sheet of paper at Marinette's face, just barely touching the girl's cheek so she knew it was there.

Marinette opened her eyes in surprise and looked at Tikki.

"Why?"

"Marinette, Ladybug has the obligation to protect everyone. _You_ have the obligation to help everyone," Tikki reminded gently.

"But you said so yourself, she's _that_ kind of person."

"But she's still a person, Marinette. What if she needs help?"

Marinette groaned in frustration. "Tikki, have you forgotten what a terrible person she is? Everything that she's done?"

"Marinette, what if this was something serious?"

"And what if it wasn't? What if she's just throwing a tantrum or something?"

"Then at least you know it's nothing serious." Tikki gently put her hand on Marinette's cheek. "If not for Chloe then for Sabrina. You saw how she was."

It was true. As insufferable as Chloe was, Sabrina at least was tolerable. And what Nino had said earlier wasn't exactly far-fetched. Even Miss Bustier had been worried by the end of the day, asking Sabrina to see the school nurse, to which Sabrina merely ignored. She wouldn't be surprised if the girl wasn't eating as well.

"...Fine."

"Really?" Tikki asked in surprise.

Marinette sighed. "Let's just go before I regret this. Tikki, spots on!"

* * *

"I'm already regretting this," Ladybug muttered to herself as she gracefully swung down onto the balcony of Chloe's room. She peered inside. The lights were off but from what little she could see, the room seemed to be in a mess.

"That's strange…" She knocked on the glass gently once, then once again, a little louder.

No response.

Hesitantly, she pushed on the glass door and it slid open.

"Hello?" Ladybug called out. "I'm coming in, Chloe."

A muffled voice came from deeper in the room followed by what sounded like the rustling of blankets.

"Chloe?"

"Go away," The voice said hoarsely, just loud enough to be heard. It sounded like she stuck her head out of the blanket.

"Chloe, are you okay?" Ladybug gingerly stepped over a pile of rumpled clothes, laid in a heap on the floor. "I'm turning on the lights."

Ignoring the muffled protest, she clicked on the nearest lamp, casting the room into light.

To say the room was a mess was an understatement. Designer clothes were strewn all over the room, some hang from wall fixtures and some were simply thrown onto the floor. Chairs were knocked over, pictures laid facedown. Everything that could be thrown was thrown.

In short, it looked like someone threw a tantrum for days straight. And honestly, that sounded pretty close to the truth.

The bed shifted and the pile of blankets gathered closer together, forming a tight ball.

Sighing, Ladybug walked over to the bed and sat down. As the bed shifted from the weight, the bundle of blankets moved away.

"Chloe, what's wrong."

"Go away, Marinette!"

Ladybug froze. Then she laughed uncertainly.

"Chloe, it's me, Ladybug."

At this, the blanket abruptly opened up, revealing a disheveled Chloe. Or, at least, someone who seemed like Chloe.

Her normally perfect hair was let down in a stringy mess, some of which covered her face. Not a touch of makeup was seen on her face which was a blotchy patchwork, either from crying, screaming, or both. Eyebags that would make any student cringe hung from her eyes.

Sabrina looked nowhere near as bad as Chloe did.

"I know it's you Marinette! I heard you and Adrien that day, I heard everything!" Chloe growled. She gripped her arms, almost as if trying to hold herself. "Every. Single. Word!"

Ladybug stared at her in horror. But Chloe wasn't done yet.

"Did you enjoy it? Did you _like_ playing with me like that?" Chloe snarled. Her grip on herself tightened, painfully so. But if it hurt her, she didn't give any indication of it.

"You took _everything_ from me! My popularity, my crush, my superheroes! Why?! I was supposed to be the princess! I was supposed to have everything! What does this–" Chloe gestured wildly at the room. " _All_ of this matter if I don't have anything?! What did I do wrong? No, don't give me that look! You don't understand! You don't know what it's like growing up with the mayor as your father!"

She gripped her arms once again, this time looking down. Tears fell from her face. "Do you have any idea what it's like growing up like me? Everyone, _everyone_ , treating me different! In the beginning, I tried making friends. I really tried. But really, what's the point if they only want to use me because their parents told them that the mayor is my father? How many times have I overheard my so called 'friends' talking about how much money they can get out of me? Adrien was the only boy I knew who wasn't like that. And then what happens? You take him from me!"

"Chloe–"

"No! I'm not done yet!" Chloe glared at her, tears now flowing freely. She took a deep shuddering breath. "And Ladybug, someone who was so loved, someone who didn't want me for my money and treated me like a normal person… You took her from me! You're just like everyone else! My own father doesn't care for me like a normal father would! He only imitates how he thinks a father would act. I can see it in his eyes. I even have to bribe _Sabrina_ to be my 'friend' all these years! Do you think I enjoy living like this? I'm a person too!"

She trailed off into sobs, her back hunched over so much that her face was completely hidden. Her form shook violently with each breath she choked down. Her fingers were white from gripping her arms so hard.

"Chloe," Ladybug tried again. She felt a painful, guilty twist in her chest. She reached out hesitantly but stopped just before touching the other girl.

"Tikki, detransform me."

When Chloe didn't look up at the flash of light, Marinette slowly stroked Chloe's back. She felt the other girl tense at the contact but continued in silence.

Slowly, the girl relaxed under Marinette's hand. She no longer choked on each breath, but random shudders still ran through her. Marinette said nothing, simply continuing to soothingly stroke her back. When the last of the shudders stopped, so did Marinette.

Marinette looked around, and, spotting a box of tissues next to the bed, brought it to the girl. Wordlessly, Chloe took a tissue and loudly blew her nose before taking another to wipe her eyes. Marinette silently took away the used ones and set them aside.

"I'm sorry."

Chloe said nothing, her head still down. Her face remained hidden behind a curtain of hair. But her grip on her arms loosened.

"I'm sorry. I knew you idolized Ladybug. I knew you liked Adrien. But I ignored your feelings because I hated you for what you seemed to be. I forgot you were a person," Marinette continued, uncertainly. "I thought you were just some spoiled brat who only cared about yourself. I didn't realize that it was your way of protecting yourself. I was horrible. Can you forgive me?"

Chloe remained silent. She was silent for so long that Marinette was almost afraid that she was never going to say anything at all, until…

"You're right," Chloe whispered. She drew in a shaky breath and looked up at Marinette with watery, tired eyes before continuing. "I was–I _am_ a spoiled brat. I only care about myself. I gave up on redemption a long, long time ago. I don't need your pity."

She pushed the Marinette away weakly. And Marinette let her.

"Go away, Marinette. I won't tell anyone about your secret. If not for you, then for Adrien at least."

Marinette started to protest but Chloe turned slightly. Her eyes were puffy from crying again. Her eyes looked dead.

"Tikki. Spots on."

Chloe didn't even look.

Ladybug turned towards the balcony. "The class is worried, you know. They were glad the first two days but by today, everyone was worried about what happened to you. Even if no one said it, or if they joked about it, we are all really worried. Sabrina may not even last until Monday at this rate."

Chloe said nothing.

Ladybug sighed and pulled out her yo-yo. "If not for me, then for everyone else at least."

With that, she left, gracefully leaping off the balcony and swinging away.

* * *

"You think she's going to show up today?" Nino asked, head propped up on his hands as glanced at Chloe's seat from the corner of his eye.

Adrien looked at Marinette in concern, pleading in his eyes. Marinette shrugged.

"Doubt it," Alya muttered. "She's probably—Ah, nevermind. I spoke too soon."

Adrien whipped his head around in surprise, just in time to see Chloe walk in, with Sabrina happily trailing behind. Not a single strand of hair out of place on either of them, the infamous pair casually strode into the room. It was almost as if nothing happened the week before.

As the pair passed Marinette's desk, Chloe gave a sideward glance at Marinette but otherwise continued walking.

"Well, she's back," Nino quietly remarked, a faint grin on his face. "Guess that's one less thing to worry about."

"You mean one more," Alya muttered, but smiled nonetheless.

 **Author's Note:**

 **Ahhh late update! Sorry, sorry! I'm trying to publish something right now and it's midterm season so everything is a bit hectic . I'm sorry this one got kinda really angsty, I couldn't get this idea out of my mind and wanted to write it down...**

 **Thank you to** **GuardianAngel1234567** **,** **Screemnigcheesepuff, and mayuralover** **for reviewing!**

 **Reviews make me smile :)**


	5. True Ending

**MattPac, congratulations for being the one reviewer who guessed right on who I had imagined the third person to be! (You were the first reviewer on this story too!)**

* * *

 **Third person: The real/original/intended one**

He didn't mean to follow her.

Honestly, he didn't. It just happened.

And he didn't mean to watch her during lunch. He tried to fight it in the beginning, and he still did, but with every laugh that came from her, every flip of her hair...It just happened. And before long, it became routine. Lunch. Watching Marinette from the corner of his eye. Quickly looking away as soon as he caught himself watching her.

He felt like such a creep.

And yet, his sketchbook continued to fill with drawings of Marinette.

When Adrien approached the pair sitting in their usual spot during lunch, Nathaniel didn't think much of it. Well, that was a lie. It wasn't exactly a secret that Marinette had a crush on Adrien. In fact, the whole class was already betting on the outcome of their relationship. Nathaniel was the only one who betted that they would never end up together, but deep down inside, he knew that it was unlikely.

Which is why he felt his heart twist into a painful knot as he watched Marinette follow Adrien back to the classroom, alone.

And when he heard their identities...The pain stopped.

No, it was still there. There but distant. He felt empty.

As if Marinette wasn't perfect enough, she had to be Ladybug as well. How could he, Nathaniel, compete against Chat Noir? Adrien was already a rival that any girl would swoon for, but Chat Noir was a _hero_. Chat Noir and Ladybug, it was like the two were made for each other by some higher being's hands. A true match made in heaven.

He felt like a joke.

Any false hope that he had was gone, replaced by an emptiness. And when the two officially began dating, the emptiness grew and suddenly, he was walking. No, jogging. _Running_. Before long, he was back outside, in the courtyard.

The few students who noticed his presence paid him no attention. Not that they ever paid him any attention.

He gripped his sketchpad tightly, his pen shaking in his fist.

So that was it, huh? The end of the line for him. He almost gave a bitter laugh.

He was such a loser.

* * *

"Adrien, we should really get back before Alya puts me in an interrogation room," Marinette murmured. Her face was still a brilliant shade of red, buried in the crook of Adrien's neck.

Adrien sighed reluctantly but released her from his hug. "I guess so."

"About time," muttered Plagg, pulling a face. Tikki quickly shushed him.

"Nino's probably going to be asking where I was," Adrien laughed.

"Then should we go back now? Should we leave separately so we don't seem suspicious?" Marinette asked worriedly. "Oh no, should I tell Alya? Should I not?"

"Whatever you want, my lady."

"Maybe I'll—"

Whatever Marinette was about to say was interrupted by screams.

Immediately, the two whipped their head towards the sound, playfulness leaving their faces.

"Tikki, spots on!"

"Plagg, claws out!"

* * *

"Nathaniel! Get a hold of yourself!" Alya shouted, sticking her head out from behind a tree. Around her was chaos, as students ran around screaming, some of whom were chased by various flying objects. The doors back into the building were barricaded by steel bars which the Evillustrator had drawn up.

But as she hid behind a tree, Alya felt that it was a little...off. Yes, students were being chased by things drawn up by the Evillustrator but it the majority were being chased by harmless objects such as cotton candy, clouds, and dandelions. And was it just her, or was Alya the only one not being pursued by something? In fact, she doubted that she even had to hide behind a tree. The only students that she could really see who were in danger were Chloe (which was expected) who was being chased by a giant, red hot curling iron and, surprisingly, Nino who was being relentlessly pursued by a oversized red bouncy ball.

"Alya! _Do_ something!" Nino cried, leaping over a bench which was then crushed by the ball a second later.

"On it!" Alya whipped out her phone, unlocked it, and began recording.

"This is Alya coming live from a scene of chaos! As you can see behind me, we have the Evillustrator making a return, this time at my school!"

"Alya!"

"Ladybug and Chat Noir are due to arrive any second now! Will they save these students in time? Or will Nino get flattened into a pancake?"

" _Alya_!"

Turning her camera onto the Evillustrator, Alya jogged up to him, phone in hand. "Evillustrator, will you tell the viewers your motives this time? How well do you think you can handle Ladybug and Chat Noir when they arrive?"

"Alya, I swear to—!"

"My motives are simple. I will crush Chat Noir, that I am certain of!" Evillustrator sneered, pausing in his drawing.

"And what about Ladybug? Are you not worried about her?" Alya asked, shoving the phone closer to his face. This caused him to frown.

"Ladybug is—different. I only wish to crush Chat Noir," the Evillustrator said uncertainly. "It is he I am after. Not Ladybug."

"Why is that?" But Alya quickly interrupted herself, before he could answer. She swung her camera around to the rooftops behind her, just in time to capture Ladybug and Chat Noir leaping down. Below, the students cheered.

"And Ladybug and Chat Noir enters the scene, right in the nick of time! Luckily, no students have been crushed yet." Alya did a quick sweep of the courtyard to prove her point.

"No thanks to you!"

"Ladybug! Hurry up and save me! It's trying to ruin my _hair_!" Chloe shrieked, ducking behind a tree which the iron crashed into, lighting the tree on fire.

Ladybug groaned but complied, lassoing the rampaging iron with swing of her yo-yo as Chat knocked the huge ball that chased after Nino out of the courtyard with his baton, much to Nino's relief, before chasing after the other creations.

"Ladybug, his pen!"

"I'm on it!" Ladybug called out as she sprinted for the Evillustrator, the iron fading into sketches behind her.

Before she reached him, however, he drew a clear box around the hero, effectively trapping her.

"I'm sorry, I'm afraid you'll have to stay there for a while," the Evillustrator said smoothly. The tapped the pen to the side of his tablet, his eyes turning onto Chat Noir. "As for you…"

"Well, this situation seems fur-miliar," Chat muttered, nimbly leaping out of the way of boulder. He glanced back at Chloe, eyebrows raised. "Purrhaps you'd like to tell me what you did?"

"I didn't do anything! He's the one who just went crazy on his own!" Chloe cried out indignantly from behind a tree. "Why don't you ask _him_ why he flew off the handle!"

"Chat, get me out!"

"One meow-ment, my lady!" Chat turned to Nathaniel, a smirk on his face. "So what's the paw-blem this time?"

"The problem is you _!_ " the Evillustrator snarled, drawing spinning blades into existence. "Everything would have worked out if you weren't in the way!"

Chat frowned and swatted them away before leaping backwards and landing on top of the box trapping Ladybug. "Well, that's not very nice."

"Chat, what did you _do_?"

"Nothing, my lady! I'm purrfectly innocent!"

"Less puns, more action, Chat!"

"If that is what my lady purrfurs." Chat replied, a grin on his face as he raised his hand. "Cataclysm!"

The box shattered into black shards as Chat leaped off to avoid falling onto Ladybug.

"Lucky Charm!" A laser pointer fell into her hands and she grinned.

"Oh no you don—Argh!" the Evillustrator grunted in pain as his hands automatically covered his eyes from the laser. He didn't have time to react before Chat sprung forward and snatched the pen from his hands before snapping it in half, freeing the akuma.

Ladybug wasted no time in catching it with her yo-yo. Releasing the purified akuma, she smiled. "Bye bye, little butterfly."

"Miraculous Ladybug!"

The everything returned to how it used to be, Ladybug and Chat Noir both turned to each other, giving the usual fistbump as Nathaniel scrambled to his feet behind them. Around them, the students cheered.

"And a beautiful save once again from Ladybug and Chat Noir! Nothing less than expected from Paris' superheros!" Alya said enthusiastically, quickly running up to the pair, phone in hand. "Do you two have anything to say? How about an interview?"

"Er…" Chat's ring gave a warning beep, the first spot disappearing. "I would love to but this cat's gotta run. Purrhaps another time."

"Aw, don't be like that! How about you, Ladybug?"

"Sorry, I gotta go too," Ladybug apologized, giving Alya a smile. "Maybe next time."

Alya pouted but having been used to the same reply nearly every time she asked, she quickly shrugged it aside. Instead, she turned to Nathaniel who looked around uncertainly, realization slowly spreading on his face.

"How about you, Nathaniel? You seemed to have quite a grudge against Chat Noir; did he do something to you?" Alya's eyes glimmered excitedly.

Both Chat Noir and Ladybug paused and looked at Nathaniel, along with all of the remaining students.

Nathaniel turned red. "I-It's nothing big."

"If it's nothing big then you can tell us, right?" Alya moved her camera closer as Nathaniel turned his face away uncomfortably. "C'mon Nathaniel, spill it already! Almost everyone here has been akumatized; it's nothing to be ashamed of!"

"What is going on here?" The sharp voice of Ms. Mendeleiev rang out across the courtyard. The science teacher stood with a scowl at one of the doors, her hands on her hips. "Back to your classrooms! Now!"

Groans rose throughout the yard as students grumbled before shuffling back to their forgotten lunches. Ladybug quietly laid a hand on Chat's shoulder, the two sharing a look before they dashed off over the rooftop, out of sight where they could transform back. Just before disappearing out of sight, Chat glanced back and locked eyes with Nathaniel for a single moment.

"Nathaniel! That includes you!"

Nathaniel jumped slightly, his eyes quickly moving to his teacher.

"Yes, Ms. Mendeleiev."

* * *

"Girl, you totally missed it! I suppose you're lucky in a way; you're almost never caught up in these attacks!" Alya slung her arm around Marinette's shoulders. "But don't worry; I got you covered! I got it all on video if you want to see!"

It was just after class had ended. Students were packing up, some lingering to talk about the earlier attack. A few patted Nathaniel on the back, assuring him that no one blamed him for it since it wasn't unusual for someone to be akumatized once or twice. Well, no one except Chloe who gave Nathaniel a death glare as she left, one hand patting her hair.

"Thanks, Alya. I'll check it out on the Ladyblog later," Marinette replied with a smile. As she got up to leave, Adrien turned and smiled at her, causing her to blush. This, of course, didn't go unnoticed by Alya who smirked at her friend.

"So...Anything happened while you were gone?" Alya leaned in close, a sly grin on her face. "You know, with Adrien?"

"Nothing happened, Alya!" Marinette quickly replied automatically, her blush growing redder by the second.

"That doesn't sound like nothing. You want to do this the easy or the hard way?"

"Marinette? May I speak to you?" A quiet voice interrupted the pair. Nathaniel stood awkwardly behind them, his sketchbook clutched to his chest as usual. His smile looked painfully forced, his knuckles white from clenching his book too hard.

Alya and Marinette exchanged a glance.

"Sure," Marinette replied easily. She waited.

"Um, alone?"

"Oh." From the corner of her eye, Marinette caught Adrien curiously looking at them as Nino continued blabbering on about some party. "Sure. Alya, do you want to catch up later?"

"No problem. I'll call you later than!" Alya gave a playful wave before turning on her heels and all but dragged Nino mid-conversation out the door, leaving Adrien to slowly trail behind them out of the classroom in confusion.

Nathaniel nodded at the door. "Do you want to go outside to talk?"

"Okay." The two left the room. They walked silently for a few minutes, down the stairs and out of the school. Once in awhile, Marinette would glance at him but every time she did so, he simply looked ahead, his gaze unfocused ahead. His grip on his sketchbook would loosen from time to time but quickly tightened again. Soon, they entered the park, but not where most people tended to gather. Instead of stopping by the statue of the superheros or by the fountain, he led them to the shade of some trees, away from most people, where they stood stiffly.

Just as Marinette was about to break the silence, he beat her to it.

"Thank you for today."

"Huh? You mean for talking to you? It's no problem, really—"

"No. I mean about the akuma." He looked up at her through his bangs, his head slightly tilted downward. "Thank you for purifying it."

Marinette's heart skipped a beat. "W-What do you mean?"

Nathaniel's gaze shifted to the side as he fidgeted nervously.

"I overheard you and Adrien during lunch," he admitted quietly. "Everything. I'm sorry."

Marinette's vision spun as she blushed, memories flooding back as she tried to recall every word that was said during that conversation between her and Adrien. She didn't know if she was more mortified, embarrassed, or horrified. "E-Everything?"

Nathaniel stayed silent but met her eyes.

She took that as a confirmation.

Marinette squeaked as her hands flew to her face, hiding it. Peeping through her fingers, she frantically scanned Nathaniel's face for any hints of his reaction but he simply smiled sadly. She struggled to find something to say, anything, but her words seemed to die in her throat.

The two stood in awkward silence before Nathaniel finally spoke again.

"I won't tell anyone, you know. I'm not the kind of person to do that."

Relief flooded Marinette but she still looked at him suspiciously. Slowly, she lowered her hands until just the tips brushed her chin.

"Is...Is that why you were akumatized?" Marinette spoke slowly, cautiously. The last thing she needed was for him to remember his anger and get akumatized again.

"Yes."

"...Oh."

Silence fell again.

"I liked you," Nathaniel started. He blushed faintly. "Well, I still do. But I had a really big crush on you before."

"The first time you were akumatized," Marinette remembered.

"Yeah. But I mostly got over you. I found someone else I liked; or I thought I did," Nathaniel laughed softly. "Turns out, I simply shifted my crush onto your other self. So I guess I never really got over you."

"You liked Ladybug?" Marinette asked in surprise. She, along with most of the class, had assumed that he had simply continued admiring Marinette from afar. Well, no, that made her sound conceited. But she didn't think that he had moved on.

"Yes. Which is why I was, um, akumatized after I overheard Adrien asking you out. I'm sorry."

"No, no, you don't have to apologize!" Marinette said quickly, her hands clutched together at her chest. "I should be the one saying sorry! I...I knew about your crush on me as Marinette but I still treated you like a friend instead of addressing it properly. I shouldn't have just left it like that."

Nathaniel smiled wistfully. "I didn't expect you to talk to me about it. And there was nothing you could have done. I was bitter about losing both 'Marinette' and 'Ladybug' to Adrien. But I'm happy that you found the one for you. Since it's for you, I won't tell a soul about what I heard from now on. Only for your sake."

"T-Thank you, Nathaniel." Marinette bowed her head, uncertain of what to say. "I'm really sorry I can't return your feelings."

Nathaniel shook his head. "It's okay. At least I wasn't rejected the same way Chloe rejected Kim." He forced out a laugh.

Marinette smiled awkwardly. "That would have been bad."

"Yeah…" Nathaniel rubbed the back of his head uncomfortably. "Well, um, see you around I guess?"

"Yeah, see you around." Marinette gave a single nod before slowly taking a small step back, her body already turning to escape.

Nathaniel gave one last smile before turning away, his heart dropping from both relief and misery.

"Nathaniel?"

He turned, a questioning look on his face. Marinette smiled apologetically at him, her hands holding herself at the elbows.

"Thank you."

 **Author's Note:**

 **I haven't posted in awhile, sorry… m(_ _)m**

 **This is the final chapter to this story; I'm really sorry to everyone who wanted a version with Lila but I hate her with a passion and even though I really tried to bring myself to write her, I simply could not do it…**

 **I meant to update earlier but midterm season had started and since the scholarship for nursing school (that costs $56,000/year) I'm relying on relies on my GPA, I'm only writing in my free time (sorry)**

 **A special thanks to my friend who designed this story cover (as well as other cover(s) ) 3**

 **GuardianAngel1234567 - I really tried writing her, I'm sorry ;_; I ended up just finishing with the tomato child instead… Thank you for following this until the end! :)**

 **FictionGirl11 - Same, lol. Nothing can make me write a redemption story for Lila. Nothing.**

 **Thank you for reading!**

 **black neko hime - Thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed it :)**


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